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The next time you drive by New Town’s Eco Tourism Park a riot of colours is likely to catch your eye. A 300 ft boundary wall has been painted with motifs inspired by nature.
The wall graffiti is the result of a four-day workshop undertaken by 15 artists. “Around the world, graffiti is an expression of protest. But there is a positive spirit at work here,” said artist Shuvaprasanna, who has co-ordinated the workshop.
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Debashis Sen, chairman of Hidco, thanked the artists for painting the walls. “We will create a pathway in front of the wall so that visitors can gain access to these artworks,” Sen said.
Minister of urban development Firhad Hakim dropped by on Monday, the last day of the workshop. “We were toying with ideas for beautification when Shuvada proposed this. I have travelled along this road several times in the last few days when the painting was on and I was curious to see the wall in its final form,” he said.
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The wall varies in height from section to section and juts out in parts, thus creating distinct blocks for each artist. There are depictions of the urban jungle in which birds, animals and insects make their presence felt, of water which is home to both fish and boat, and even a mosaic of insects found in the greens. Weather-proof paint has been used.
The park is open from 2pm to 8pm on weekdays and from noon to 8pm on Sundays and national holidays. It is closed on Mondays.
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Pictures by Sudeshna Banerjee